Fire rescue apparatus



1953 w. J. BERNETT 2,647,675

FIRE RESCUE APPARATUS Filed June '25, 1947 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 E INVENTOR.

WILLIS J. BERNETT ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 Filed June 25, 19 47 w. J. BERNETT 2,647,675

FIRE RESCUE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIS J. BERNETT w /ez ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1953 fuNirEo STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE RESCUE APPARATUS Willis J. Bernett,

S. A. Galatas, Roy L. Mattox, and Willis J. Bernett, all of Anderson, Kansas City, Kans.,

and J. M. trustees Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Frank W. Fisher, Kansas City, Mo.,

Application June 25, 1947, Serial No. 757,044 4 Claims. (01. 227-29) building wall, comprising means on the building 1 and driven means on the vehicle cooperating therewith, preferably, in the form of a rack on the building and pinions on the vehicle meshing with the rack to carry the vehicle up and down the side or wall ofthe building.

More particularly my invention comprises an apparatus of the above mentioned character, whichis adapted to travel along on the ground under its own power and to utilize the. power plant that propels the vehicle along on the ground for raisingthe vehicle up and lowering the vehicle down theside of a building, and means for stopping the same, at a desired point.

More. specifically my invention comprises a vehicle, that is provided with means for driving the samealong .theground and with means for driving thesame up the side of a building, which means is operated by. the same power plant, and means for selectively connecting the power plant with either the ground wheels or the means for moving the vehicle up the side of the building, as may be found desirable or necessary.

Furthermore my invention specifically comprises means connected with the above referred to pinions so as to control rotation of the same through a' reduction gearing and braking means which are located on the high speed side of the reduction gearing so that the application of the brakingmeans will positively stop and hold the pinions against rotation when it is desired to hold the vehicle in a fixed position or to halt the travel thereof as said vehicle is moving either up Or down the side of the building.

It is another purpose of my invention to pro videa device of the above mentioned character with means for positively securing the vehicle to a track that is mounted vertically on the side of a building so that the interengaging pinions and rack can not come out of engagement with each other, which means is detachable so that the vehicle can be detached from the building and moved along the ground.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide in a device of the above mentioned character a platform mounted thereon in such a way that said platform will overlap exit openings that are to the side of the track that is provided on the building, such as windows, which platform adapted to be folded into a position so as to not project unduly from the sides of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling along the ground. 1

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described, except as defined in the claims. i

In the drawings: a

Fig. 1 is a, view in side elevation of my improved rescue apparatus, showing the same in position on the side of which is shown.

Fig 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on a somewhat enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the rescue apparatus'when in position ground. a i

Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the rescue apparatus, certain parts being omitted, but showing the driving means for a building, a fragment of the vehicle both on the ground and for elevating the same along the side of a building.

Fig. 5 is a rear fragmentary elevational view of the rescue apparatus in position on a building, showing the platform in unfolded position, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of the brake mechanism.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved rescue apparatus is shown as being applied to a building H), which is provided with a structural member H, such as an I-beam, which is shown as being built into the wall In and which may be part of the building structure, or may be i added to the building as may be found desirable. The important thing is that the member H is firmly fixed in position in the building structure or on the building, and has provided thereona pair of flanges l2 and a rack l3 mounted centrally thereof. The rack [3 may be made as a part of the structural member, such as the I- beam ll shown in Fig. 2, but preferably, is made as a separate member, which is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the outer face of the one flange of the I-beam.

The laterally extending flange portions l2 are spaced from the building l0 and serve as means I for holding the rescue vehicle [4 to the building in the position shown in Fig. 1. 'The vehicle is provided with a pair of arms I5 and I6, each pair of arms 15 and the vehicle 14, as by bolts, or similar detachable to move along on the IS being detachably mounted on securing means. The pair of members l extends downwardly from the body I4 at an oblique angle and the pair of arms l6 extends upwardly therefrom at an oblique angle. Each of the arms I5 and I5 is provided with a pair of rollers li' engaging opposite faces of the flanges l2, said rollers being mounted to rotate on suitable shafts 18 provided on the arms or It, the mounting on the arms l5 only being illustrated in detail, but the mounting on the arms 16 being the same as on the arms it. As shown, brackets I9 provided on the arms carry the shafts l8. Extending forwardly from the body 14 is a bracket 20 that carries pairs of rollers 11 engaged with the flanges l2, which bracket is also suitably detachably mounted on the body M. In order to hold the rollers I! in proper engagement with the flanges [2, a transverse connecting member 2! is provided between each pair of arms, which is detachably connected with one of said arms, as by means of the bolt 22, and may be flXed in position on the other arm of the pair.

Also mounted on the body I 4 on suitable shafts 23 and 24 are the pinions 25 and 26, which mesh with the rack I3. Said pinions are fixed on said shafts to rotate therewith and said shafts have sprocket wheels 21 and 28 fixed thereon to rotate therewith, which are driven by the sprocket chains 29 and 30. Said sprocket chains are also in engagement with sprockets that are mounted on the low speed or output shaft (H of the reduction gear 32, only the sprocket 33 driving the sprocket chain being shown, the other sprocket being on the opposite end of the shaft and driving the chain 29.

The arms l6 may be carried by the vehicle when it is traveling along on the ground, as shown in Fig. 3, as these are in a position where the same will not interfere with the progress of the vehicle over the ground, but the arms l5 have to be removed and stored in a position on the vehicle that the same will not interfere with the operation of the vehicle over the ground. The vehicle is provided with a single rear wheel 34 and a pair of front wheels 35, which are mounted on the axle 36 to rotate therewith, said axle having a sprocket wheel 31 thereon that is fixed on the axle 36 and which is driven by means of a sprocket chain 38 operating over the same, said sprocket 39 fixed on the shaft 49 to rotate therewith. Said shaft 40 is the output shaft on a gear box 4!, which contains suitable gearing to change the axis of rotation from one transversely of the vehicle to one longitudinally thereof, the gears in the gear box 4! being driven by means of a sprocket chain 42 operating over a sprocket on the shaft 43 and over a sprocket 44 on the tubular output shaft provided on a transmission 4'5 provided on the vehicle, the transmission being of a standard character, such as used on motorcycles or similar vehicles, having a gear shift lever 46 thereon of the ordinary character.

The power plant for the vehicle comprises an engine 41, which, in the form of the invention shown, is provided with the transmission as a unit therewith. The engine is started by means of a starter gear 48, which is operated by the usual kick starter provided on small motor vehicles of the character of motor scooters and motor-cycles, the details of which are not shown, as the same are of a standard character. Said gear is mounted on a starter shaft having a positive driving connection with the engine shaft and extending through the tubular output shaft chain 38 also operating over a, sprocket r of the transmission, as is common practice in such vehicles. A second transmission 49 is provided, which is provided with a gear shift lever 50 and which is connected with the starter shaft by means of a suitable flexible coupling 5|, and with a shaft 52 constituting the input shaft of the reduction gearing 32 by means of a flexible coupling 53. A brake drum 54 is fixed on the shaft 52.

It will accordingly be seen that by operation of either the gear shift lever 46 or the gear shift lever 50 either the ground wheels 45 or the pinions 25 and 26 can be driven by the power plant 41 to either move the vehicle along the ground or to rotate the pinions 25 and 26. The transmission 49, is preferably, of such a character that the pinions 25 and 26 are either disconnected from the power plant or are rotated in the proper direction at either a low or a higher speed to cause the vehicle to travel upwardly or downwardly along the rack l3. Suitable braking means provided for the brake drum is utilized to halt the vehicle and hold it at any desired point along the rack I3. Said braking means comprises a pair of brake shoes 10 pivoted on the bracket H mounted on the frame of the vehicle and moved into position to grip the brake drum by means of the foot pedal 12. Said pedal is fixed on the end of a lever 13 pivoted at 14 to one of said brake shoes 10 and connected with the other brake shoe 10 by means of a short link 15 pivoted to said other brake shoe and a longer link 18 pivotally connected with the lever 13 at a point spaced from the end thereof, said links being pivotally connected together. Said brake shoes have suitable lingings 11. The lever 13 operates in a slot 18 formed by the portions of a U-shaped offset 19 in the road wheel brake lever 80.

The vehicle is provided with a suitable starter pedal 55 for operating the starter gear '48 in a suitable manner, and with suitable steering mechanism operated by the steering arms or handle bars 56 and is provided with a seat 51 for the operator thereof. Suitable braking means are provided for controlling the operation of the vehicle while on the ground, of a standard character operated by means of the lever 80.

A platform is provided on the body [4, which is, preferably, of a folding character and which has pairs of upright members 58 fixed to the body and which remain in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5, both when the vehicle is attached to the building and when traveling along the ground, the platform being omitted in Fig. 4.

" Said platform also has members 59 pivoted to the members 58, which are adapted to be swung upwardly from the full line position shown in Fig. 3 to the dotted line position shown in said figure, which is the full line position for these parts shown in Fig. 5. Bracing members 60 are also pivoted at their lower ends to brackets 61 on the uprights 58 and are adapted to be swung to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2, which is the full line position shown in Fig. 5, and attached to the members 59 to brace the same. Suitable flooring can be provided on the members 59 and the transversely extending members 62 that connect the members 58 above the top of the body M, a portion of the floor being shown at 63 in Fig. l. The members 58 extend above the members 62 and the rail members 64 are suitably pivoted to the upward extensions of the members 58' and are movable to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, which is the full line position thereof shown in Fig. 5. Pivotally connected to the outer ends of the members 59 are upwardly extending posts 65, which fold into a position behind the members 59 and which are detachably connected with the members 64, said members 65 being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. in their operative unfolded position. The rail 66 connects the members 65 at their extremities and a rail 61 connects the members 58 at their upper ends. Thus a platform with a guard rail extending around the same is provided, which projects laterally from the body l4 and is located above the same and above the operator sitting on the seat 51 and can be brought into suitable position in front of windows 69 or other similar escape openings in the building I 0 when the vehicle is in position with the pinions 25 and 25 in mesh with the rack l3 on the rail member 1 I.

In case rescue operations are to be performed by the apparatus described, the vehicle is driven from a suitable location, such as a fire station, to a place of use, such as a burning building, in the usual manner of a motor vehicle, by means of the power plant 4'! driving the wheel 35. Upon reaching the building at which rescue operations are to take place the arms 15 and I6 can be quickly secured in position, as Well as the bracket 20, to secure the apparatus to the building. Of course, the arms 15 can not be attached in position until the body 14 has been slightly elevated, but the rollers 0n the bracket 20 and on the arms 16 will serve to temporarily hold the apparatus to the track or rail H until this can be done. After the vehicle has been thus placed in position, the operator can immediately put the same in operation up and down the side of the building, by means of the power plane driving the pinions 25 and '26, until all rescue efforts on the particular rail or track to which the same is attached have been completed, whereupon the vehicle can be quickly shifted to another rail or track and the rescue efforts further continued.

What I claim is:

1. A transportable rescue apparatus, comprising a vehicle having ground wheels, means for moving said vehicle up and down a building wall comprising a rack on said building and vertically spaced toothed wheels on said vehicle cooperating therewith, flanges fixed relative to said rack and projecting laterally at opposite sides thereof, rollers engaging opposite sides of said flanges, means on said vehicle carrying said rollers, said rollers holding said toothed wheels in engagement with said rack, and means on said vehicle for positively driving said toothed wheels in unison.

2. A transportable rescue apparatus, comprisof, rollers engaging opposite sides of said flanges, means on said vehicle carrying said rollers, comprising arms inclined upwardly from said vehicle and arms inclined downwardly from said vehicle, said rollers holding said toothed wheels in engagement with said rack, and means on said vehicle for positively driving said toothed wheels in unison.

3. A transportable rescue apparatus, comprising a body portion having ground wheels, and means for moving said body portion up and down a building wall, comprising a vertical track on said building, a flange on said track, a rack on said flange, a rotatable pinion on said body portion, means on said body portion for holding said pinion in engagement with said rack, a motor on said vehicle, a transmission connecting said motor with said pinion to rotate the same, braking means between said transmission and said pinion for holding said pinion against rotation to hold said body portion at any desired point during its ascent or descent, and a transmission connecting said motor with said ground Wheels.

4. A transportable rescue apparatus, comprising a vehicle having ground wheels, means for moving said vehicle up and down a building wall comprising a rack on said building and toothed wheels on said vehicle cooperating therewith, flanges fixed'relative to said rack and projecting laterally at opposite sides thereof, rollers engaging opposite sides of said flanges, means on said vehicle carrying said rollers, comprising arms inclined upwardly from said vehicle and arms inclined downwardly from said vehicle, said rollT ers holding said toothed wheels in engagement with said rack, said downwardly inclined arms being detachably mounted on said vehicle, and means on said vehicle for positively driving said toothed wheels in unison.

WILLIS J. BERNETT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 619,105 Watson et a1 Feb. 7, 1899 780,711 Donnell Jan. 24, 1905 991,954 Charbonneau' May 9, 1911 1,069,088 Taylor July 29, 1913 1,073,293 Sideman Sept. 16, 1913 1,362,518 Villiers Dec. 14, 1920 

